Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unable to travel to Gangtok on Thursday due to inclement weather, where he was scheduled to attend the “Sikkim@50: Where Progress Meets Purpose and Nature Nurtures Growth” programme marking the 50th anniversary of Sikkim’s statehood. Instead, PM Modi addressed the people of Sikkim virtually from Bagdogra, West Bengal.
Despite the setback, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for a series of major development projects aimed at enhancing infrastructure and connectivity across the state. These include a new 500-bed district hospital in Namchi valued at over ₹750 crore, a passenger ropeway at Sangachoeling in Gyalshing district, and the unveiling of a statue of former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Atal Amrit Udyan in Gangtok.
To commemorate the golden jubilee, PM Modi also released a commemorative coin, a souvenir coin, and a special postal stamp.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi’s ongoing tour includes visits to West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh on May 29 and 30, where he will inaugurate and launch infrastructure and development projects worth over ₹70,000 crore.
Among these is the ₹1,010 crore City Gas Distribution (CGD) project for Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts in West Bengal. The project will supply Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to over 2.5 lakh households and more than 100 commercial and industrial establishments, and will establish around 19 CNG stations.
Sharing his plans on social media Wednesday, PM Modi said, “Over the next two days, I will be attending programmes in Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. The development works that will commence over the next two days will bring innumerable benefits for people and strengthen our resolve to build a Viksit Bharat.”